The 1978 Autralian tour

[Jay]

I've always been VERY curios about this particular time in the Beach Boy's career.  I am most interested in the show where Carl supposedly passed out/fell. I have heard two songs from this night on a bootleg CD of the Lie'd In Hawaii rehearsals. Carl is in very poor form here. I was wondering if anybody has heard this complete show.  Is it true that Carl passed out/fell? Somebody once told me that he fell into the drumset during "Darlin'".  Can this be heard on the recording? Also, does anybody have pictures from this tour to post on here? I'm particularly interested in seeing pictures from the specific concert that I talked about above.

[Rocker]

There are some videos on youtube from this concert (or the one the day after, I don't remember)

[Beach Boy]

There are some videos on youtube from this concert (or the one the day after, I don't remember)

Neither of those two.

[mikeyj]

There are some videos on youtube from this concert (or the one the day after, I don't remember)

Neither of those two.

I know I am Australian and therefore should have researched this a bit better but I am unsure of which concert that was aswell. Was it in Perth though? I'm pretty sure they played 2 or maby even 3 gigs in Perth (dont know why, since they have a pretty small population) but if so that would mean that the clips on YouTube definately aren't the ones in which he apparently fell over.

[TonyW]

The 78 tour of Australia was a debacle. Carl was smacked out of it and ruined the first Perth show. I have never heard a recording of the whole first show (although plenty of people claim to have heard it - I tend to think they are confusing it with the second Perth show). The second show is easily available on the Surfin Downunder boot. The TV footage is from Melbourne and was the Boy's way of appologising to the Australian public, it was broadcast nationally on the Ten Network (I think).

I attended the two Sydney shows at the old Sydney Sportsground.  The second show was close to a washout as rain poured down. A few years after the tour I played football with a guy who was on the roadcrew on the tour and spent a bit of time with Dennis, he confirmed to me that drug taking was rampant on the tour.

[Beach Boy]

Yeah, on the 2nd show in Perth Carl apologized for his behaviour from the first gig. I just know another concert was filmed of the Australian tour:

A person who works for a TV station in Australia once posted on the BeachBoysBritain Board that there is indeed another complete concert in the vaults. I can't remember the details, but he pointed out that Carl was really out of it, worse than on the video in circulation.

[Jay]

Thanks for the replies.  Was the show that was broadcast on TV really supposed to be a "make up" show? Carl is pretty visibly drunk at that show too. But not nearly as bad as the two songs I've heard.  At one point, Carl even swears onstage. Dennis tells the audience "He got his copy(of Dennis's solo album) for free". Carl replies "That's bullshit!".  Just so there isn't any confusion, I'll elaborate on the songs I have heard. I have heard two songs, God Only Knows, and Good Vibrations, on a bootleg CD. Carl is in very poor voice, much worse than on the video that circulates. At certain points during Good Vibrations, Carl flirts with girls in the audience, and picks on Brian. One amazing little thing about Good Vibrations(to me, anyway) is that Brian leads the group into the "hum be da" section of the original outtake.

[MBE]

Yeah this is a fairly commonly circulated two songs. No video has been seen except the stuff on you tube. Jon Stebbins decribed it in his book, but I think he just went from the audio source as well.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Carl is pretty visibly drunk at that show too.

Not drunk. Smacked out.

The 1978 Oz tour was the turning point in his realising how bad his problem had got: he was clean within a year or so.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

His addiction was affecting him in the studio at that point, too. Listening to his vocals  around 1977-1978 (i.e. The Night was so Young, Everybody wants to live just once) you can see that something's not right. Or rather, hear.

I've had my fair share of experiences with drugs, good and bad (but mainly good...) but glad as hell I've never touched horse.

[TonyW]

Thanks for the replies.  Was the show that was broadcast on TV really supposed to be a "make up" show? Carl is pretty visibly drunk at that show too. But not nearly as bad as the two songs I've heard.  At one point, Carl even swears onstage. Dennis tells the audience "He got his copy(of Dennis's solo album) for free". Carl replies "That's bullmerda!".  Just so there isn't any confusion, I'll elaborate on the songs I have heard. I have heard two songs, God Only Knows, and Good Vibrations, on a bootleg CD. Carl is in very poor voice, much worse than on the video that circulates. At certain points during Good Vibrations, Carl flirts with girls in the audience, and picks on Brian. One amazing little thing about Good Vibrations(to me, anyway) is that Brian leads the group into the "hum be da" section of the original outtake.

The televised Melbourne show was a "make up" to the Australian public. It actually went out live to air with, if I recall correctly, the regular variety show slotting the section of the Boy's Melbourne show into their normal broadcast. I would imagine that the whole show would have been recorded and this might might be the "other show" reported to have been recorded - the broadcast and video in circulation was only a small portion of the night's show. As I said above I was at the two Sydney shows and neither of them was filmed - by then the band was in good form even if the inter band tensions were obvious.

The first Perth show was headline news nationwide with television, radio and print news running with the story. At that time the Australian media were a law unto themselves and foreign acts not coming up to scratch were prime targets (witness the Frank Sinatra "bums & hookers" jibe and fallout a few years earlier) and the Boys and tour promoter - David Frost - had to do something to save the tour and garner some poitive reviews as Perth was at the start of the tour.

As for the Good Vibrations "hum de das" version is the Australian tour the first known live performance of the "hum de das" section?

[Mooger Fooger]

There is a significantly lengthy super8 film of the Sydney concert. Filmed by someone close to the source, Australian based and it is most certainly very revealing. I have viewed it only once, and it was an eye opener. There is also a tape of the Brisbane show which is in remarkably good quality.

[Jay]

His addiction was affecting him in the studio at that point, too. Listening to his vocals  around 1977-1978 (i.e. The Night was so Young, Everybody wants to live just once) you can see that something's not right. Or rather, hear.

I've had my fair share of experiences with drugs, good and bad (but mainly good...) but glad as hell I've never touched horse.

I was going to make a seperate thread on this, but since you mentioned it, I'll ask it here. Was Carl drunk/stoned when he recorded "It's Over Now"? I once read about that song on another message board. Some people were speculating that Carl was either "unwell", or the recording on the box set was running at the wrong speed. I always thought it was Brian that sang on "The Night Was So Young". 

[Jay]

Carl is pretty visibly drunk at that show too.

Not drunk. Smacked out.

The 1978 Oz tour was the turning point in his realising how bad his problem had got: he was clean within a year or so.

How do you know he's on Heroin? I don't doubt your sources, but I'm just not familiar with drugs. To me, it seemed like he was drunk in that footage. He slurs his speech, stumbles around, and when he takes a bow after "Surfer Girl", he almost doesn't make it back up. Dennis has to hold onto him.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Carl is pretty visibly drunk at that show too.

Not drunk. Smacked out.

The 1978 Oz tour was the turning point in his realising how bad his problem had got: he was clean within a year or so.

How do you know he's on Heroin? I don't doubt your sources, but I'm just not familiar with drugs. To me, it seemed like he was drunk in that footage. He slurs his speech, stumbles around, and when he takes a bow after "Surfer Girl", he almost doesn't make it back up. Dennis has to hold onto him.

It's been an open secret pretty much since 1978, but only been admitted by fans at large in the last 10 years or so. My sources ? People who would know: friends, co-workers, extended family (in one case, someone who is all three).

[TonyW]

There is a significantly lengthy super8 film of the Sydney concert. Filmed by someone close to the source, Australian based and it is most certainly very revealing. I have viewed it only once, and it was an eye opener. There is also a tape of the Brisbane show which is in remarkably good quality.

Hhmmmm interesting. Super 8 implies its somebody's "home" footage - Australian based - given the era its probably not difficult to narrow the field down. Out of interest was the Sydney show the Saturday evening show or the Sunday afternoon? It would be easy to tell by the (a) lack of rain, or (b) total drenching of rain. Was the Brisbane tape audio or video? If audio is it sound board or audience?

As for my earlier question re the Good Vibes "hum de das" possibly being performed live for the first time on the Australian tour I guess I should jump in before Gary C or any of the Kiwis jump in to point out that the first leg of the tour was in New Zealand. Yes, me bad!

Oh yeah, the official line back in 78 was that Carl "had a cold". 

[Beach Boy]

Carl is pretty visibly drunk at that show too.

Not drunk. Smacked out.

The 1978 Oz tour was the turning point in his realising how bad his problem had got: he was clean within a year or so.

How do you know he's on Heroin?

You should know that AGD is a well-known insider.     

BTW I found on a trader list a DVD of the Perth show, but I just think the trader labeled it wrong.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Carl is pretty visibly drunk at that show too.

Not drunk. Smacked out.

The 1978 Oz tour was the turning point in his realising how bad his problem had got: he was clean within a year or so.

How do you know he's on Heroin?

You should know that AGD is a well-known insider.     

Stuff and nonsense - I'm just a fan with an overly inquiring mind. 

[endofposts]

Even if Carl was "smacked out," I think he must have been drunk, too.  Heroin doesn't make people slur like that.  I've known a heroin user or two in my time!  Plus, look at Keith Richards.  He did some of his best work while a stone(d) junkie.  It didn't show in his guitar playing or his singing.  It was when he went off heroin and got heavily into booze that his skills started to really decline.

[pixletwin]

...Heroin doesn't make people slur like that...

Heroin use most definitely does make you slur. Per Keith Richards... If you can understand a word he says  I commend you. 

[endofposts]

Yeah, Keith talks like that now he's been an alcoholic for years.  Usually drunk.  He didn't talk like that in "CS Blues."  I have known people that were actively using heroin, and you could barely tell by the way they acted or spoke.  Their hygiene may have been a different matter.  It also might depend on how recent a "fix" is.  Someone recently snorting or injecting is probably more altered than someone who is just on a level between fixes.  But Carl just seems plain drunk to me in the videos from those Australian shows.   

[adamghost]

Whoever asked if Carl was drunk when he cut "It's Over Now" and for some of his other late '70s vocals asked a very perceptive question, from what I understand.

[MBE]

Even if Carl was "smacked out," I think he must have been drunk, too.  Heroin doesn't make people slur like that.  I've known a heroin user or two in my time!  Plus, look at Keith Richards.  He did some of his best work while a stone(d) junkie.  It didn't show in his guitar playing or his singing.  It was when he went off heroin and got heavily into booze that his skills started to really decline.

Agreed about Keith. Pixie find a 60's or 70's interview he spoke perfect English then.Looked completely different too.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

If he was mixing the two, then he'd sure as hell slur! What I do fine odd is that he seemed to  have been the only heroin addict to actually *gain* weight during the addiction.

[pixletwin]

Even if Carl was "smacked out," I think he must have been drunk, too.  Heroin doesn't make people slur like that.  I've known a heroin user or two in my time!  Plus, look at Keith Richards.  He did some of his best work while a stone(d) junkie.  It didn't show in his guitar playing or his singing.  It was when he went off heroin and got heavily into booze that his skills started to really decline.

Agreed about Keith. Pixie find a 60's or 70's interview he spoke perfect English then.Looked completely different too.

Wells I guess druga affect different people differently. I had a few friends how were also junkies and all I can say is when they were sober you wouldn't know they were junkies, but when they were on or just coming off there speech was pretty slurred. You want a famous example, Kurt Cobain had a great example of a heroin slur. (per Carl though, sounds more pickled than strung out to me.. especially on It's Over Now).